Little Boy Lost
by nautika
Summary: A man searches for a missing child. PreFOTR.


**Little Boy Lost**

By nautika  
K+  
Summary: A man searches for a missing child. Pre-FOTR.  
Disclaimer: Not mine, wouldn't know what to do with them if they were. This is an AU, not for profit story.  
Author's Notes: Written for the first Teitho Challenge, Friends in Small Places.

**Little Boy Lost**

The soldier walked the streets, a look of fierce concentration on his face. People moved out of the man's way not wishing to incur his wrath. Normally, this one was considered kind-hearted. He was polite to women, attentive to children, respectful of men and even fed stray dogs on occasion. Brows crinkled and lips carried whispers to nearby ears as local citizens speculated over what might be wrong. Had a battle gone badly? Even now, were some of their sons, fathers and husbands lost on the field? Was the enemy gaining ground? One thing was certain, if the news was bad, they would know it soon enough. Husbands patted their wives shoulders, mothers held their children a little closer and all moved toward home. Soon it would be time for the evening meal.

The soldier gave no thought to his own stomach, only to the hunger of the one he sought. The child's mother was beyond fear while the father and grandfather were so engrossed in their private war of wills that they had no time or desire to look for the boy. Why is it the ones that must breed could not see beyond the act to the living, breathing being that they helped create? Responsibility fulfilled, duty done, thank the powers that it is a male child so they may train him to kill and send him to war. Again, he thanked the Valar that his own father had taken time to love him, teach him many things and to make him feel special. He had always felt worthwhile and safe in his father's arms. Valar only knew if the child he sought _ever_ felt that way at all. His mother loved him, but there was the new baby to care for as well now. Begrudgingly, he admitted the father and grandfather did love the boy. Unfortunately, they never seemed to be comfortable showing it.

_Where_ could he be? The soldier had been looking for hours. He had been to all the lad's favorite spots and found no sign of him at all. He had begun a walk through the city over two hours ago, checking every alley and possible hiding place; walking through businesses that might draw the young one's attention. He began to fear he was either injured or abducted. The light was beginning to fade and it was inconceivable the child would rebel against the strict rule of being home and cleaned for dinner. He was a good boy, an obedient son. Some day, the man knew, he would be a great leader. The man did not have the gift of foresight, but how could this honest young child who cared for injured animals and loved his home and family with a fierceness rarely seen even in a man fully grown be any less?

He reached the far end of the city without feeling any closer to finding the boy than when he had started searching hours ago. Maybe he was home by now. It was unlikely the masters of the household would send a message to him if the boy returned. There was nothing to do but go back and check for himself. If the boy was still unaccounted for, he would involve some of his more trusted men to join in the search. Decision made, he nodded to himself and was leaving the area when a small sound attracted his attention. He froze in place, hardly daring to breath, and waited. There it was again. Getting his bearings, the man carefully eased down the narrow alley, hand placed on the hilt of his sword. He could see no one, but with the coming darkness, shadows could be used for hiding places. The alley was an obstacle course, strewn with broken pieces of furniture, the remains of a peddlers cart (including some discarded wares), shattered pieces of glass, some scraps of cloth waded into a bundle and -judging from the rancid smell – a decaying body. The soldier suppressed a shudder and hoped the boy had not come across that. Whether it was man or beast, it was doubtless a horrid sight. Walking softly, he reached the back of the alley where the sounds were clearer.

It sounded like…a dog? No, not a dog; a pup...mewling. Perhaps there was still hope he had found the child. Boys and dogs could be great companions. Mother dogs however could be very dangerous at what they saw as a threat to their young. The soldier paused and listened again, trying to pinpoint the exact location of the sound. Finally giving up on locating the pup (and hopefully a human companion) by sound or sight, the soldier began feeling his way around the back of the alley, moving from left to right, one hand on his sword, the other lightly traversing the wall of rock that brought the alley to it's end. As he reached the far right of the alley and turned right to work his way back up that side, the material changed from rock to wood. Deciding he needed two hands to feel his way now, he released his grip on his sword handle and carefully felt along the wooden structure before him.

It was too small to be a proper dwelling and the roof had partially collapsed, making it seem even smaller. The door was low, probably due to the cave-in of the roof. The man squatted in an effort to better see what was before him and found nothing but darkness. Even if he had access to a torch, he would have been afraid to use it here. Doubtless a tiny spark would ignite the old wood, turning it to smoke and ashes in a matter of moments. Perhaps would help if he knew what the building had been used for, but as dilapidated as it was, there was little hope of discovering that from out here. There was nothing to do but venture in where surely the Valar would have sense enough not to tread. Taking a deep breath, he dropped to all fours and crawled through the small opening allowing his hands to roam just above the ground gauging the safety of the space before him. When he was fully inside the building, he decided to risk a soft call. "Hello, is anyone here?"

He was rewarded with a high-pitched bark and the unmistakable mumble of a human. The human's mumble did not last long, but the canine was more accommodating, barking rapidly several times in succession. Mentally crossing his fingers that this was not a thief in hiding, the soldier drew his knife, clutched it in his right hand and moved steadily toward the yelps of the pup. His journey took him to the back wall of the building. As he neared where the pup must be, he spoke slowly and softly, "Good boy, good dog, easy there. I will not harm you." His voice echoed lightly back to him; causing him to shiver in spite of himself. The soldier raised to a squat, reached his left hand before him and held the dagger tightly in his right. He straightened his left arm, braced himself to come in contact with a frightened canine and almost lost his balance when he instead met only open space. He moved his arm from left to right and from as far up to as low as it would go before meeting a wall of timber. For the next few minutes he examined the opening until he had a good idea of what was before him. It was a chute of some sort. Such things were used in the house of the privileged for dumping dirty clothes to a lower level for cleaning. He had also heard of them being used to send charcoal or firewood from a higher elevation to a lower one. A non-enclosed chute might be used to transfer water from a river to a crop, but that one would be much smaller. Of course this one was small enough, barely big enough for his shoulders, if he forced them through. He had no intention of doing anything so foolish for the sake of a dog, but if the boy was there . . .

"Hello? Is someone there? Hello?"

There was the muted sound of someone moving, but nothing else. In a pipe this small, it was unlikely to be a full-grown man, but that did not guarantee it was his quarry.

The soldier sighed mentally. He had hoped to avoid using the child's name. If it were not him, then he did not wish to alert the city to the fact he was missing. That needed to be avoided if at all possible.

"Hello? Who is there?" If it was the one he sought, perhaps a more military approach would be more effective. "Report!"

This time the movement was faster; there was the sound of a thump and a cry of either surprise or pain. The soldier waited, giving frequent glances back toward the way he had come. The sound of breathing was more pronounced, as though the mystery person were frightened or in pain. If it was the child, he may not have recognized the voice of the one who had spoken. The man tried again.

"Are you in need of assistance? I do not mean to intrude."

"Captain Thorongil! It is you…is it not?" Excitement turned to uncertainty. If it was not his friend, the boy could be in great danger. Well, greater danger; considering the situation he was in already.

"Yes, child, it is I. I have been looking for you for quite some time. May I ask what you are doing in this chute?"

"Some boys were teasing the puppies. They were afraid…the puppies, I mean. I tried to get them…the boys, I mean, to leave, but they just laughed at me." The boy's voice shook, but he forged ahead with his story. "I..I shoved one of them. It made him angry and he knocked me down, but when he did, he dropped the puppy he was holding and it ran away." Thorongil could tell from the boy's voice that he thought any injury he might have suffered had been worth it to free the pup. "After that, one of the other boys yelled and they all ran away. They took the other puppies with them. I got up and came the way I saw the dropped puppy run." The boy was silent long enough that Thorongil opened his mouth to speak, but the boy continued, much more subdued. "The puppy's mother is out there, Captain Thorongil. Did you see her? She's- "

"I saw, Boromir, and I am sorry. I take it the...puppy ran in here and you followed?"

"Yes. I thought he might be afraid after losing his mother and then those boys being so mean. I did not think it right to leave him alone if he was hungry and frightened."

Thorongil smiled in the dark. Some boys would say they were helping the puppy when they simply wanted to have it as a pet. Boromir always only spoke the truth. His concern was for the orphaned pup.

"I think it is time you come out now, Boromir. We need to get you home. Bring your new friend and I will find someone to take care of him at least temporarily."

There was a moment of silence before a small voice confessed, "I cannot. My foot is stuck."

The captain closed his eyes. "How is it stuck, Boromir?"

"Behind and above me. I crawled up to get the puppy and when I started back out some stuff moved and my foot got caught. I am sorry."

Thorongil smiled and wished the boy could see him do it; it might make him feel better. "There is no reason to apologize, Boromir. I know you would not do such a thing deliberately. Does your foot pain you?"

"No, Captain. It has just been rather tingly since I woke up. I suppose I fell asleep on watch." The lad seemed embarrassed by his confession.

"I am sure your four-legged companion kept a more than adequate watch. Do you think there will be room for me to reach your foot in there?"

"I…I am not sure. It is rather small."

"Well, I believe I will make the effort, shall I?" As he spoke Thorongil was removing his cloak, belt and sword. He sheathed his dagger and considered his next move as the boy answered.

"Yes, Captain." The lad sounded relieved.

It would not do to leave his weapons behind where someone might find them and use them against him and the boy. On the other hand, if he was to have any chance of reaching the Steward's grandson, he needed to be as unencumbered as possible. Thorongil wrapped his cloak around his other possessions and placed them just to the left side at the entry to the chute. He dropped to his stomach, extended both arms above his head and slithered into the chute. It was a very tight squeeze. As his knees moved from the floor of the chamber into the chute, he pushed the left one against his cloak and used it to drag his gear into the conduit. The boy was right; it was a small space. He was basically forcing himself up the chute by using his toes to thrust himself upward. In a relatively short period of time his fingers touched something soft and furry and he was 'rewarded' for his efforts by a rough, wet lick to his fingers. The man's hands wandered to the right of the pup and came to rest on the boy's face.

"Boromir? Are you well?"

"Yes, Captain." Was that a tremor in the child's voice?

"Let us see about getting you and your friend out of here. How does that sound?"

"Good. I mean, good…thank you."

"You are more than welcome, Boromir. Now, I will need your help. It is too dark for me to see. I need you to guide me."

"How?"

"With your words. Guide me to your foot that is caught."

"Oh. It is behind and above me. It is the foot on the side nearest to you."

"Very well. I am going to see if I can reach it from here. It might be wise for you to cover your head, just to be safe."

"What about your head, Captain Thorongil?"

Thorongil smiled. He genuinely liked this child. Again he thought what a fine man he would be some day. "Thank you for your concern, Boromir. I will be careful. Now, are you ready?"

There was a moment of shuffling as the boy presumably moved to shelter his head and the pup. Thorongil stretched his hands as far in front of him as he could, but only succeeded in reaching the boy, just below - or more accurately from this position - above his knee. The man gave a very slight tug to see how securely the foot was held. Nothing moved. He forced his hands further above him until his shoulders ached, but still could not reach the ensnared foot. He allowed his arms to rest on the boy's back and considered another approach.

"Captain Thorongil?"

"Yes, Boromir?"

"I think Puppy needs to go. Will you have my foot free son?"

"It may be a little while, Boromir, but do not worry. I believe you can safely release him and he will stay nearby. He is probably as tired of this small place as you must be and only wishes to move around a little."

"Oh." Thorongil almost missed the word so softly was it spoken.

"Boromir?" The man's voice was gentle.

"Never mind." Thorongil had never heard this particular voice so sad before.

"Boromir, do you trust me?"

There was nothing soft about the little voice now. "Captain Thorongil ! Of course I do!"

"If you trust someone, then you know you can tell them the truth. What is your truth, Boromir?"

The child was silent so long that Thorongil no longer expected a reply. He began inching his way up the chute, trying to force his body past the boy's without hurting him. He hoped the young Gondorian was not hiding a serious injury; but reasoned if that were the case the boy would have cried out by now.

"Captain Thorongil?" The child's voice dropped lower with every word. "_I _have to go."

'How stupid could I be?' thought the captain.

"It is no surprise with my pushing against you like this. I hate to think of you getting a chill from being damp, but I do not see another way. I am sorry, Boromir. I will get you out as quickly as possible, but some things cannot be made to wait."

"You mean I just…"

"Yes. Relax, Boromir. Nature does not always consider what is easiest for us and nature cannot be ignored."

"But my clothes; people will _know._"

"Unless they are planning on climbing into this shaft themselves, they will have no way of knowing if it has leaks in it or not. Fear not, Boromir. _No one _will know."

There was another moment of silence, then the boy sighed with relief. Once again, Thorongil had to strain to hear his words. "Thank you."

"I am honored by your trust in me. To show you it is not misplaced, I think I have a solution to our problem. If I remove your foot from your shoe, I believe you will be free. I will be as careful as I can, so it will still take me some time."

"I am fine now, Captain. Do not worry."

It did take a considerable amount of time for Thorongil to blindly work the foot free. More than once he wished he could actually _see_ what he was doing. By the time he was finished and satisfied that the young one had taken no further injury, the captain was convinced hewould never be comfortable in small places again. Looking forward to being able to stand up again, the man placed an elbow against the side of the shaft and pushed upward to move his body back. Nothing happened. Thorongil addedthe use of his toes and placed his other hand against the top of the chute. Still nothing happened. A little desperate now, he tried pulling his stomach in and holding his breath, but it did nothing to aid his cause. After several failed attempts, the soldier finally allowed himself to admit defeat. He was stuck. Perhaps his companion would have better luck.

"Boromir, are you awake?" It had been a long time since the boy had spoken and he hated to wake him, but by now it was likely that not only his mother was frantic, but his father and grandfather as well.

"Sir?" Yes, he had definitely awakened the child.

"Boromir, your foot is free. Can you move it? Is there any pain?"

"It is a little sore, but I can move it. Thank you, Captain Thorongil!"

"I am sure you would do the same for me. Now, about getting out of here-"

"I am ready!"

The captain laughed at the boy's enthusiasm, causing the boy to giggle. Above those sounds was a sharp yelp, reminding them of the third in their trio. "Oops, sorry, Puppy. I did not mean to squeeze you so hard. But did you hear? My foot is free and we can go now."

That brought the man back to their problem. "Boromir, can you scoot forward?"

"Of course, Captain Thorongil." The captain fervently hoped it was as simple as the young one's voice implied it would be.

"Good, but be careful. My cloak is in front of you with my sword and dagger wrapped inside it. I would not want to safely free your foot and then have you injured by my weapons." It was unlikely to happen, as both blades were sheathed, but Thorongil had learned that the unlikely often happened where young boys are concerned.

"No, sir. I would not want that either." The boy's body tensed next to his as he tried to move. After a few moments of grunting, his body relaxed. "Uh, Captain? Perhaps you should go first."

It was as the soldier feared. This chute had become their prison. All they could do for now was let the boy sleep while the soldier considered what to do next.

He tried to make his voice light. "In truth, Boromir, I only asked you to do it because I am unable to. I am not much of a rescuer, am I?"

"Oh, no, Captain! I am the one who came in and got my foot caught. You found me and loosed my foot and it is much warmer with you here. I am sorry for you that you are stuck here with me, but I am glad for me."

"Boromir, I would not be anywhere else tonight. If you are here, then I am glad to be here also. Now, let us get some sleep."

"Yes, sir. Shall you lead in prayers or should I?"

"I would be pleased if you would lead."

After a moment of silence to allow for the proper respect, Boromir spoke.

"Teach me to always say what is true and be willing to do each task I do.  
Help me be good through every day and from my duty never stray.  
Gods bless the Steward, gods bless Gondor, gods bless father and mother and baby Fara and gods bless Captain Thorongil. And thank you for letting him find me."

After a moment's silence, Captain Thorongil followed Boromir's lead. "And gods bless Boromir of Gondor and thank you for aiding him in saving the life of one of your creatures. Amen."

The child's voice joined the man's on the last word. After a minute, he asked "Captain Thorongil, do you really think I saved the puppy's life?"

"Yes, I do, Boromir. Sleep well, my young friend."

"Good night, Captain."

The next morning when the child awoke, his human companion was no closer to a solution to their problem than he was the night before and his canine companion was gone! The little boy tried to be brave, but not only did he miss the pup, but he was hungry and thirsty. Thorongil knew all this and he knew it was not meant for small children to remain still for so long. The soldier was trying to distract him with a game of _'What do I spy with my mind's eye?'_ and both man and boy were laughing over one of the man's guesses when a voice came from the end of the chute.

"Boromir?"

The boy cried out in joy "Papa!"

"Captain Thorongil, there you are! From what little I can see, it appears it is a good thing this pup attracted our attention." The Steward's heir seemed unreasonably amused by his Captain's situation.

Thorongil cringed, wondering how many years this story would be told in the barracks. But, as he had told Boromir, he would not have wished to be anywhere else. Trying to take his mind off being found in such an embarrassing position, he let his thoughts wander to the time when the boy would become a man. Perhaps they could share a campfire and laugh about this night. Thorongil thought he would like that.

The end

A/N I took liberties with the time-line. While Faramir was an infant when Denethor succeeded Ecthelion after his death, I believe Thorongil had already left Ecthelion's service (and Gondor) by then. Boromir would be about 6 in my story.


End file.
